The Houston Rockets are on a roll. Houston has won five straight games, and the Rockets have won all five of those games by double digits. During that stretch, they knocked off three teams that are in line to make the postseason, including their opponent on Saturday night, the Boston Celtics. That has Houston poised to overtake either Denver or the Los Angeles Clippers, and the Rockets are currently a game behind the Clippers and two games behind the Nuggets in the Western Conference race. Meanwhile, Boston sits in third place in the Eastern Conference race, and the Celtics are out to close the gap on Toronto for the No. 2 seed.
This game will take place at TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. Tip-off is scheduled for 8:30 p.m. ET on February 29, 2020, and the game will be broadcast on ABC.
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Head-To-Head Results to Date
To no one’s surprise, James Harden and Russell Westbrook were instrumental in leading Houston to a 116-105 win over Boston two weeks ago. Harden and Westbrook combined for 78 points, and the two stars went to the line a combined 31 times on the evening. Harden almost exclusively shot threes and free throws, going 7-16 from beyond the arc and 17-18 from the free throw line, while Westbrook was very efficient in making 13 of his 23 shots.
Jayson Tatum had a disappointing effort for Boston. He was expected to take over in the low post since the Rockets no longer have a real big man, but he shot 33.3 percent from the floor and went 0-7 from beyond the arc. Kemba Walker underwhelmed as well, going 5-17 from the floor, and that was all she wrote for the Celtics.
Injury Report
The Celtics currently have two players on the injury report. Kemba Walker hasn’t taken the court since before the All-Star Break due to a knee injury, while Robert Williams is likely still a week away from returning from a hip injury that has sidelined him since December 9.
Thabo Sefolosha has played sparingly this season, but he is expected to return to the court in a reserve role on Saturday night after missing Wednesday’s game with Memphis due to flu-like symptoms. Eric Gordon should return from a knee injury that has hampered him in recent weeks too.
Matchup to Watch
Tatum should dismantle Houston in the low post. The third-year big man has been putting up monster numbers in recent weeks, and he is averaging 35.4 PPG and 8.2 RPG in his last five games. The Rockets don’t have someone to man up against him after trading Clint Capela, but the undersized P.J. Tucker did a better job than anyone expected the last time these teams squared off. After a poor performance two weeks ago, Tatum will be motivated to take over on Saturday night.
Game Preview
Keep an eye on the injury report to see if Walker will be available. He was only expected to miss a game or two due to the knee injury, but he has now missed four games since the All-Star Break. If he isn’t available, that will give Houston an advantage. Harden and Westbrook aren’t great defenders, so if Walker is out, they could be even more potent with the ball.
Houston has had some issues with its perimeter shooting considering how much this team loves to fire away from three. The Rockets are making just 35.1 percent of their threes, and none of their four stars are sinking more than 36 percent of their triples.
Prediction
The Rockets are red hot, but the Celtics will pour some cold water on them this Saturday. Tatum will have a great game and control the paint, leading Boston to a victory that covers the NBA betting odds.
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